Bel Ami

Revisited Bel Ami today. [Batch: 15 September 1994] Always been fascinated by the fragrance industry’s interpretations of “leather” - an idealised tribute to a finished product that (thankfully) smells nothing like a tannery. In Morocco I once got lost and found myself in a very stinky part of Marrakech - where there were lots of tanneries. The stench was overwhelming and I couldn’t identify it until a friendly local gave me a tour of his tannery. Hides were soaking in putrid vats of liquid that smelled worse than the most disgusting faeces you can imagine, skins of tanned leather were drying in the sun, and the fecal stink was so intense it made my eyes water and permeated my clothes and hair for days. Which was very unpleasant. And embarrassing. Whenever I think of “leather” that odiferous memory from Morocco springs to mind unbidden. The process of making “leather” out of dead animal skins is very smelly. Putrid in fact. Thankfully Bel Ami smells absolutely nothing like that. Presumably our fascination with leather derives from the history of European perfumery, when master perfumers would sell perfumed kidskin gloves and other fragrant leather accessories drenched in concentrated perfume (in addition to powders, unguents and pomades). Hermès - which is correctly pronounced “air-mess” by the way - pays tribute to its pedigree and its beginnings as an upmarket saddlery in many of its men’s fragrances, such as Bel Ami, Equipage and Rocabar -whose name is from a striped horse blanket (“roc à barres”). Bel Ami is very classy, redolent of refined, understated and unpretentious elegance.. In the words of Chiswell Longhorn, “Etiquette is for those who lack breeding as fashion is for those who lack style” Bel Ami is pure style. Individual, self-assured, and the epitome of elegance, Bel Ami isn’t “in your face” and doesn’t try to impress. It doesn’t have to try. It’s not a formulaic, stereotypical men’s Chypre, and unlike most other men’s fragrances of its time. Bel Ami feels like flying first class: there’s no cramped discomfort, unnecessary clutter, or other people’s elbows in your space - it’s a luxurious, high quality, enjoyable experience. It’s not easy to translate a sensory experience into words, so will limit myself to my impressions. The citrus and sage in the opening are fairly soft and so harmoniously synchronised with the aromatics and floral notes that the evolution is seamless as resin, woods, leather and oakmoss take the stage in the dry down. Bel Ami is like browsing in a high end boutique and evokes a classic gentlemanly aesthetic, like a Chesterfield armchair. Or a Perfecto. The 1994 vintage isn’t all that different to the current version of Bel Ami. The DNA is the same as is the effect, although the latter doesn’t quite have the same “depth”, if that makes sense - the only real difference seems to be that the later incarnation contains less oakmoss Bel Ami is a beautiful Chypre of superlative quality and one of my all-time favourites. Like a Perfecto - stylish, unpretentious, elegant and sexy. Not try-hard wannabe “Sex Panther” sexy but an effortless kind of sexy like a self-assured, young Marlon Brando. Wearing a Perfecto. Versatile too, it could be worn for any occasion and, even though it reminds me of gentlemanly elegance, it could by worn by anyone anyone regardless of the configuration of their crotch. The current version is just as lovely as the vintage, and is strikingly different to just about everything on the market today. A legend whose reputation is very well deserved.

(Vintage 1986) This was a very great blind buy, better than I expected. Katie Pucrick on her YouTube review of Bel Ami (vintage) I believe, compared it to Tom Ford Private Blends, "they want to announce themselves, laud and proud", she said. Thinking of Tuscan Leather perhaps, whereas Bel Ami is more smooth, herbal, spicy fresh. My first impression was, where's the leather, this smells dark, I got the styrax right off, some nice blending of oakmoss, and then some nice Mediteranian herbs and spices, reminding me of vintage Azzaro Pour Home, or vintage Equipage. Bel Ami also reminded me of another recent discovery, Tom Ford Man Extreme. So I thought this is a great fragrance, but similar to what I have and know... Then, wooow, the LEATHER kicked in, wowy-wow. Yeah, this is the best leather; aromatic, rich , oily and smooth. I like the review just below describing notes not listed, butter with salted caramel, that's what I'm getting, making an accord with the rich leather. Also Jack twist review said accurately that it's in-between Equipage and Knize 10. I thought it was going to be a heavy fragragrance, but it's not, because of some fresh herbs, spices and light citrus. It can be suitable for cooler Summer days or nights, and of course great for Fall and Winter. There is a timeless beauty to it. I have two great vintage classics, Givenchy Insense, and Hermes Equipage, now this will take it's place with those two. Note: For anyone interested in purchasing a vintage shaker bottle, I received a 100ml tester for $175. from sweet baby perfume plus.com. The tester bottle comes with cap and looks just like the regular bottle, 1/2 the best eBay price... Some of the citrus and herbal top notes where faded from my vintage 100 ml compared to the fresher decant vintage I received earlier. When ordering a a 20-25 year old vintage bottle you take that risk of some having lost a bit with age. Still good, and love the beutifull antique bottle, dark and classy. PS: I got the 2006 vintage, and it is quite good, the leather is dark and rich, not as buttery rich as the 1986 BA. It is a very comfortable wearable classic. I thought the 2006 vintage Bel Ami would be a shadow of the original, but no... It is rich spicy,dark. It could stand alone on the wood, spices, and Balsamic notes, and yet it has an aromatic dark leather that is very noticeable, but well blended in to the whole. I stole a bottle on eBay auction for $75, but they are still less than half the price of the original 1986... Rating: 1986:. 10/10 2006:. 9.25/10 2016: 8.75/10 God bless. John 3:16

Sniffing from the atomiser it’s sweet, floral, sharp, citrusy and a bit resinous. There's a rather unpleasant urinous note. If I was smelling this in a shop, I’d quickly move on and wouldn’t bother testing further. The very initial opening, after spraying on skin, before the alcohol has dried off properly isn’t nice at all. It’s less sweet and floral, but more animalic and sickly. I would swear there’s castoreum in it. Definitely reminiscent of Knize Ten and the opening of Chanel Antaeus. Within five minutes everything changes and it becomes completely different. It’s no longer sickly and pissy. The sweetness dies down and it becomes dry, woody, smokey and leathery. I’m aware of the citrus, but it’s not a citrusy scent. It seems every time I sniff it, I smell something different, but mostly woods and leather. Gucci Guilty Absolute smells like a new pair of shoes, but Bel Ami is a vintage leather bag. I also get waxy polish and then pepper. It feels very dark and extremely masculine, but there is a slightly sweet, floral undertone to balance the earthy spiciness. As it dries down more it becomes dusty and powdery, but with the leather and woods, particularly cedar, still in evidence. Eventually I begin to notice a little amber sweetness and feel the floral elements a bit more, but it never approaches being feminine. Eventually it becomes somewhat herbal and the bitter oakmoss starts to dominate. The far drydown is like old man’s talcum powder. Hermès Bel Ami is perfectly balanced. Dark, leathery, woody, smokey, bitter, herbal and spicy with just enough florals and sweetness to stop it being harsh. It's soft and powdery, but also sharp and textural. It's butch and rugged, aswell as gentlemanly and refined. I'd say it's most suitable for autumn and winter, but also wearable on cold nights in spring. I wouldn't want to wear it in the heat though. It's probably going to appeal mostly to older men. Projection is strong, but not overpowering for a good few hours and it's still detectable on skin after twelve hours. It's exactly the kind of perfume I love, masculine, sophisticated, mature and complex. Within a couple of hours of sampling for the first time, I ordered a bottle and a sample of Bel Ami Vetiver. It has already become one of my top three favourites. I'd definitely recommend sampling before investing in a full bottle, but if you like "old school" masculine and realistic leather scents, you really need to try this. Just don't judge it in the first five minutes.

I have been smelling on this unique master work since early 80s, because that was my dad's signature scent. And it smelled head spinningly beautiful in those decades, still used to be a bit heavy for me to wear it at my classmates birthday parties at that age in highschool. Around 2000 it started to smell slightly different, still full BelAmi DNA, but slightly lighter and just a tinest bit less characteristic, yet it was still one of my biggest olfactive heros and this new lightness allowed me to wear it in my college years in full confidence. I love that unique and heart conquering leather accord switching between shoe polish and burnt match smell, where you can find in no other leather perfume for sure, smells so authentic, raises my heart beat instantly, and to lighten it up and render the whole concoction even more desireable, there are these three combinations which also makes this scent so mesmerizing IMO, first duo is the the classic 70s fougere formula: the carnation-patchouli combi (backened up with styrax and amber, which frame the carnation so perfectly, still never falls back into being cloying thanks to the enticing clary sage on top), that gives to the heart of that addictive perfume a very dandy type of "special occasion" cologne character, then as second comes the jasmine-vetiver duo into the play, which gives the fragrance a whole new ambience like day dreaming while falling asleep on a south pacific shore, enhanced by the oriental cardamom for sure, and as third, a very french touch enters the game: the incontestable basil-orris root duo, the furniture vernish like classy orris root absolute aired up with dark and cool minthyness of basil, all tied together so fabulously with undefeatable oakmoss base, with a small surprise of waxy coconut accord in those heart notes, that somehow intrigues your nose at first, but in a very good way, like a smart gold colored grout between the black marble tiles as an alluring contrast, and all these exclusive and almost wall to wall thick compounds have been refreshed so masterfully by those first class bergamot and (IMO burnt) mandarine peel notes. I mean, they really did some hell of masterworks in the past as perfume didn't they? I still spray it on my pillow some nights before going to sleep, and I believe that it allows me to travel to some undiscovered paradises in my dreams. Breath taking work of an olfactive master piece, timeless and simply perfect.

A leather scent from leather goods company:Hermes. A spicy sweet leather that will lose its sweetness at the end. The leather is masculine, a little harsh and bitter like oil. This leather is accompained by a sweet scent like vanilla and coconut. But this sweet scent decreases as the time passes. I can feel spicy notes of cardamom and a little cloves in it. Bel Ami is a classic perfume but indeed it's not oldschool and outdated. It reminds me Moschino pour homme, Xerjoff homme and "M" Puredistance as well. . "هرمس" ، برندی که کار اصلیش تولید محصولات چرمی مرغوب هست حتما باید چندتا نماینده چرمی بو هم بین عطراش داشته باشه که بل آمی یکی از بهتریناشه. . رایحه ی عطر نسبتا خشن هست اما نمیشه گفت کهنه یا خیلی کلاسیکه چون این نسخه، نسخه ی به روزرسانی شده توسط جناب النا هست و حتما کمی سعی شده با ذائقه ی امروزی تطابق داده بشه. . استارت رایحه با لیمو زده میشه. ولی این لیموترش تر و تازه که زورش به سلطان عطر یعنی چرم نمیرسه کم کم به حاشیه میره و عرصه رو برای خودنمایی نت اصلی مهیا میکنه گرچه بیراه نیست اگر بگم لیمو تا آخر عطر به صورت یه هاله کمرنگ حس میشه. سبک بوی چرمِ عطر آشناست، مثل بوی یه جفت کفش چرمی نو توام با کمی حس کهنگی و تلخیِ نفتی طور. اما این حسِ چرمی به تنهایی چرخ رایحه رو نمیچرخونه، بلکه یک شیرینیِ وانیلی نارگیلیِ برجسته و در کنار اون دارچین و میخک با حس تیز ادویه ای هم نقش مهمی رو در شکل گیری رایحه ایفا میکنن و از ابتدا تا اواسط رایحه حضور پررنگی دارن. رفته رفته سایه ای از بوی خاکی و تلخِ وتیور به رایحه اضافه میشه و وزنه ی تلخی رایحه رو سنگین تر میکنه. به مرور حس نفتیِ چرم درترکیب با وتیورِ تلخ و خاکی، افسار رایحه رو به دست میگیرن و شیرینی کذایی رو به پس زمینه میبرن و تا لحظه آخر باصلابت قدرت نمایی میکنن. . . نکته ی جالب درمورد این عطر برای من اینه که درعین قدیمی بودن، بخاطر اینکه سبکش مثل خیلی از کلاسیک های مردونه فوژه یا آروماتیک نیست تکراری به نظر نمیاد و کلاسیک بودنش رو فریاد نمیزنه و همچنان قابلیت استفاده داره بدون اینکه بازخورد منفی از بابت قدیمی بودن بده. قبلا درمورد شباهت رایحه ی موسکینو پورهوم با این عطر گفته بودم. اینجاهم میگم که عطرایی مثل ام پیور دیستنس و سرژف هوم تو همین فضای رایحه هستن.

Blind buy success Oh my oh my :) I just got a full bottle that was stored at 65 degrees in a cool dark and dry place, with that batch code 6LADF. This is from November 2006, almost 10 years old but still like new! So I got a decant of the original from 89' and it smells NO DIFFERENT than my formulation. I can't say the same for the newest formulation though, it really is different and just way toned down. This is coming from someone that thinks people make way to big of a deal out of reformulations. So that's all about that...now... This fragrance is just amazing. I get a hint of citrus but this fragrance is just dark smokey and leathery...so masculine. I can't imagine any type of lady pulling this off This is in my beast mode line up. This stuff just keeps going like the energizer bunny That smoke is just there through out the whole composition I don't use the term "niche quality " because it doesn't make sense, that would be niche. There's niche and there's designer. I do however see what people are trying to say and it's just that they see a correlation of what they would expect and experience from a niche house. This fragrance is definitely high quality. No complaints or corners were cut here. This is something I would expect to smell out of a niche house too for sure. Hermes is a high end designer that have been making fragrances longer than everyone else in the designer game almost too so they know what they are doing. Scent 9.5/10 Quality 9/10 Longevity 9.5/10 Projection 8/10 Masterpiece- Yes This is signature scent worthy and full bottle worthy hell even blind buy worthy (original formula) however, as a fragrance collector I will be wearing this in the cooler months of fall and winter. This is my top Hermes fragrance at the moment for sure

Oh yeah. This one hits the spot. The opening is surpassingly weird; funky, rotten-sweet, fruity, almost earthy or mushroomy? I like it, because I’m weird, but it’s definitely a trip. In a few minutes, though, what you’ve got is a great leather chypre. To me, this is a feel-good scent. Rich and rollicking. Not far from Azuree, I think; except Azuree’s accents are citrusy and Bel Ami’s accents are spiced and earthy-warm. The far drydown is creamy, dusty, sweet-ish; I get orris root (in the low doses that give buttery texture without screaming “Carrots”) and a warm brown resin, maybe the styrax. Cozy. If there’s a defining distinction between “feminine” and “masculine” leather chypres, I don’t know what it is. In my opinion, if you like the genre, try em all, independent of gender. Bel Ami gets reviewed as really “masculine” but I truly don’t see a hard line between it and Azuree. Bel Ami is definitely on the warmer side, as leather chypres go; yes, there’s oakmoss, but there’s not much else in the green/bitter column. Definitely friendlier than Bandit, Cabochard, Brood, or (shudder) Le Sillage Blanc; on the other hand, not as mellow as Habit Rouge (which is much more vanillic and resinous). And definitely not in the sweetened-leather category that includes, like, Cuir de Russie or Tuscan Leather or Cuir Mauresque. Bel Ami is friendly — not unctuous. You ever had a study buddy? Like, actually sit next to someone translating a text together in real time, so that when you figure out a word, or he does, you both laugh out loud kicking yourselves that you didn’t get it sooner? It’s surprisingly intimate because you’re letting someone inside your thought process; and that means when it *works*, it’s the second most fun thing you can do with another human.

This is the fragrance that led me down the rabbit hole of vintage fragrances and into becoming a serious fragrance enthusiast in general. I read about it first from older blogs (specifically Now Smell This, by Kevin on August 30, 2007) and reviews depicting its spicy leather nature and I kind of fell in love with it...without having even smelled it, nor understanding what styrax or oakmoss was. The current Jean-Claude Ellena version is rounder than its 80s predecessor, with more of a rosewood replacing spicy, resinous, and mossy notes. It’s very wearable and pleasant as an update to a well-loved classic, with available materials due to allergen restrictions. There have also been comparisons to two more recent Roja Dove creations that echo the original formula, but at a steep price: Puredistance M and Roja Dove Fetish Homme. It’s been a while since I’ve tried Fetish so it’s not as fresh in my mind, but starting and midway through Puredistance M’s development, I’d swear that it was a very refined, vintage Bel Ami, with all the original notes present, just stronger and longer lasting. Whereas Bel Ami will go through a journey of development, eventually smoldering beautifully into a hum of a leather chypre, Puredistance M retains all its resinous spiciness for the entire journey. I don’t know if I have a preference for one over the other, necessarily. I guess it depends on whether you prefer the Jean-Louis Sieuzac, Jean-Claude Ellena, or Roja Dove dry down. I’ve also recently gotten to know Tom Ford Men Extreme, which also feels like it borrowed just a twinge from Bel Ami, but it’s only referential, and not enough to serve as a substitute. It’s an all around great, drier, spicy fragrance on its own.

A classic and absolutely fabulous. Bel Ami is controlled masculine sexiness. If you like patchouli, leather, bergamot, woody, oakmoss, cardamom, amber scents, you'll like this. Smells expensive, refined, elegant, French. If I smell Bel Ami I'm always transported back to London, Autumn 1986. Dear reader, some of the reviews on this site complain of "zero performance"...a number of people, young men in particular, over spray their colognes & perfumes. I'm guilty of this in the past. It's absolutely toxic to your olfactory nerve & sense of smell. Particularly if you're using scent in a work environment & may be inflicting it on your colleagues. And I'm not talking of the "Baby Colognes" you buy from the supermarkets, Nenuco, S3 etc, they're meant to be used liberally and are manufactured to be used, liberally, after bathing. Give yourself a month's break from all colognes & perfumes and gradually reintroduce very small amounts of scent every few days or so. There's simply nothing worse than someone who's drowned themselves in cologne or perfume, enough to kill somebody, it's a real turn off, however fabulous the fragrance might be. I'm always rather suspicious of men or women who overdo their perfumes/colognes/after-shaves and always think they're using it to either a) cover body odour, or b) the fact that they smoke. By the way, Bel Ami lasts. I applied it at 2pm & can still detect it on my skin twenty-four hours later. This fragrance really comes into its own and works particularly well in the cooler autumn & winter months.

bel ami is a super masterpiece, i love it so much. the juice is deep, complex, dense. it's a mix of a oakmoss(not so strong), warm spicies and leather. in the opening the "forest vibe" is mixed with the cinnamon and something like cardamom(maybe my nose is cheating..), giving u an irresistible and classy scent. the leather is more detectable in the drydown, but not strong and "pure" like, for example, in trussardi uomo(vintage). it reminds me a room of a mature professor, a collector of vintage stuffs. the smell is rich and a bit conservative, for 30 and up, for casual and nightime occasions, not for playful situations. better for something like dinner, museum or meetings. the performance is good, 7-8 hours of longevity, good sillage and projection for the first 1-2 hours. the review is based on the current formulation, i never tried a vintage version of bel ami but i think there are some differences. i have few pieces from the 80's and the most are quite strong, the oakmoss is dominant and the smell is a bit pungent. the last formula of bel ami is very smooth, balanced, a good compromise of old and modern. so the integralists of the vintage fragrances can say "the last bel ami is a trash bla bla.." , but for me this scent from hermes is still great, unique, fantastic and luxurious. per me un grande capolavoro, ancora. scent-9 long-8 sillage-8 versatility-7,5 uniqueness-8,5 bottle-6 compliment factor-6,5 my vote-9 in one word- rich alternative- moschino pour homme

This really deserves even further appreciation than it has. As a Winter/cool Autumn fragrance, Bel Ami exudes a classy sophistication and charm through its exquisite leather note. The resinous supporting notes seem to give greater depth and offer an altogether effortless beauty which could happily be worn in formal, work or social settings. It is really wonderful. Not much has ever been made of the title of Bel Ami as a reference to Guy de Maupassant's famous second novel (as much as ever really can be made of the link between a fragrance title and its artistry of notes and accords). However, the story which chronicles journalist Georges Duroy's corrupt rise to power from a poor ex-NCO, who has served three years in Algeria, to one of the most successful men in Paris - most of which he achieves by manipulating a series of powerful, intelligent, and wealthy mistresses - somehow seems to fit so well the slightly discordant, debonair easy charm and underlying sensuality of the fragrance. Bel Ami can work so well in an ambitious setting - but also gives the confidence to lean close to anyone when needed. That quality should never be underestimated in a fragrance. All said, Bel Ami is one of the finest fragrances I have had the joy to wear. It is probably the greatest offering for men from the Hermes house and is an excellent example of French perfumery at its best. Just don't cross my path when I'm wearing it....

Holy dilutions, Batman! I just received a new bottle of this from Neiman Marcus. It's really beautiful, but I am shocked at how neutered it is compared to the bottle I last owned from 1993. It's almost a completely different fragrance. Gone is the roaring leather and in its place is a polite patch of leather sewn on the elbow of a tweed jacket. I love you, Hermès, et vous aussi Monsieur Ellena, but you guys have really cut the huevos out of a once great pillar of leather fragrances, making it altogether too safe and "transparent." I know "transparency" is your schtick, M. Ellena, but you should have left well enough alone, or at least have given your version a different name -- something with "léger" in the title so we'd be fully aware that it's definitely not Sieuzac's beautiful monster. I do like the increased prominence of the citrus in the newest version, which is, Ellena, your calling card, but I miss the chest-beating proclamations of the original, which announced one's presence two rooms away. It was jet wash in a bottle and I loved it. I suppose one can't stop time or fashion, or even one's shame at having given in to the latter, but every once in a while we need to recognize canonical creations for what they are and let them live peaceful lives untouched. Bravo on this new version, but let us remember also the institution that was Bel Ami's first, glorious incarnation.

I am a BIG fan of traditional masculine scents, such as Leather, so this one should have been perfect for me. I did a sample swap awhile back and was able to get my hands on some Bel Ami. I was really looking forward to trying this. After putting it on and wearing it all day I was not that impressed. "Meh, Its OK, but not all that" I told myself. At the time I did not realize that Bel Ami of today is a mere shadow of Bel Ami from yesteryear. Fast forward to a couple of months ago and I was able to find a bottle of the vintage Bel Ami in the shaker bottle. THIS is what I was expecting! A deliciously beautiful scent on my skin. Wow! This stuff is AMAZING! A very well blended masculine leather with just the right amount of supporting notes to make this fragrance shine. The citrus, herbal, floral, woody and spices are blended so well, they are like a practiced orchestra with each note working together to produce a symphony of aroma. It is a very rich scent, sexy and somewhat soft, but does not sit on the sidelines. I find Bel Ami to be very classy, with a bit of an old world feel, but not too dated. I love to wear this in a suit, but it also works well in casual attire. I get a good 10 plus hours on my skin with good projection. Bottom line: If you can find some of the vintage Bel Ami, you should try it. But I would pass on the current formulation.

I randomly picked up a small mini splash of the original vintage version without doing any prior research and it BLEW me away. I had no idea that in my hands was one of the greatest leather fragrances second only (in my opinion) to Fahrenheit but composed by the same guy who brought us Fahrenheit. I have since picked up a 100 ml of the latest reformulation in the orange box, and I'm not going to lie it's not as bad as a lot of the purist will lead you to believe. The main difference is that it is lighter in the air, not as dense in the air as the vintage, but what 80's fragrance is in these modern times we live in? Very few. My main concern with buying the new reformulation was it losing that beautiful subtle animalic castoreum accord (I think it's from spices not actual animalic notes) it has but it's still there and very lovely. I'm sorry to say to the die hard vintage chasers that this new reform is very well balanced and easier to wear to work than the vintage at least for me. Other than the reformulation being lighter in the air, I would say it and the vintage smell 98% the same. Just because this new one is lighter in the air than the vintage doesn't mean it's weak, it's still way stronger than most of the fragrances in my collection, I would be afraid to do more than 3 sprays. Bel Ami is not dead trust me. Vintage 11/10 Current 10/10

I've never smelled a vintage version of this stuff, so here's my take on a bottle I purchased in 2016. At first, I wasn't a huge fan of the scent. There's definitely a spicy, woody note in there that mixes initially with a very natural smelling orange. Think of this as a navel orange note and not tangerine or clementine. It's not a very fresh scent. It's classy and very deep and that's why it took me a while to appreciate. There's a lot going on and there are a lot of layers to this. The spice that I smell is similar to opening up your spice drawer or cabinet at home. The dominant note I can smell is almost like a mix between curry powder, sage and cumin although neither are listed in the notes. What I don't get out of this is traditional leather like you'd get with TF's Tuscan Leather or a Varvatos Dark Rebel Rider. This leather note is much lighter, almost like a smooth suede. It took me a few wearings to fully appreciate this scent, and though it's not 100% up my alley, I do really like it. It's super versatile. It likely wont offend and the performance is great. 1 spray to the chest or neck and 1 on each arm and you are set for an entire workday. This is a mature fragrance in my opinion. If you are under 40 or under dressed, it may not be for you.

I love the name Bel Ami. This name predicts a classy and confident perfume, predicts a feeling when you wear something for your own joy. This is the benchmark leather cologne and the best designer leather I have smelt. Yes, Guerlain and Armani Prive have some great leathers, Tom Ford too. But none of them has the balance what Bel Ami has. Bel Ami was built on a classic chypre frame, with leather and hot spices. Top notes are citruses and sage, but they fade away quickly. The mandarin orange note, combined with sage can be offputting. Then Bel Ami dries down into a clean patchouli, ambery and leather scent, with a hint of woodiness and vetiver. Spices are also prominent thanks to basil and carnation. Despite the fact that it's a leather dominant perfume, it never gets animalic or sweaty, it's just smooth, spicy and slightly sweet. Very formal and classic if you ask me. I am only 30 but love wearing it. I never smelt Roja Fetish, but I heard it was inspired by Bel Ami. It must be outstanding to compete with it. On the other hand, Aramis is close, but without the refinement and smoothness of Bel Ami. Definitely not for hot weather and not for teenagers. In cooler weather or in the evening, Bel Ami shows its beauty.

New bottle bought in 2020. I have no experience with the older versions. Love at first wear! I was very impressed by the opening. A citrusy spice that I wish lasted just a bit longer. The scent soon goes into the heart and here is where all the magic happens. It does feel as though it is very linear but it evolves in such a subtle way that it puts you into a trance. Personally great frags to me have that "I recognize this!" moment, not as it would remind you of a similar frag, no it reminds you of feelings, fragments of life events deeply embedded into what makes you You. The blend is rich, lush, exotic, animal, seductively erotic, a daydream of wealth. I honestly don't understand any comments that put this into the "dated old man" category! This is classy, not dated! The overall feel of the scent is LEATHER. It does have a very homogeneous feel to it but also as noted a very subtle evolution from start to finish. If you love timeless classics this is perfect for you. If your a modern guy this could also be for you because its timelessly graceful and will show just how hip you are by not following the trends. Masterpiece!

I've recently been hung up with all the fuss of reformulations, easily persuaded by the opinions of those who decry current formulations of multitudinous classics, to the point where I thought I'd never really get to experience the authentic spirit of these icons. However, I decided to give in to the current reform of Bel Ami as the vintage is prohibitively expensive, and I was really pleased; I am sure that if I smelled a vintage I'd be floored and I'd understand the difference, but even in its current incarnation, it really is impressive, mesmerizing even, to my nose. It is opulent, yet wistful; robust, yet mildly sweet. The leather starts off as raw, animalic and rugged, but smolders into a tender and refined entity, genteel yet still of solid constitution. The supporting notes of vetiver, orris and carnation do add interest to the experience, imparting texture and leverage to the leather. Overall, this is really a moving wear for me. One day I am sure I will experience the vintage and really understand what others claim, but I know what I like, and what I have now surely is a keeper to my nose. 9/10

Exceptionally elegant, even though this apparently didn't do so well for Hermès when it came out in 1986. It was probably the wrong time for it: the era for great big lemony chypres for men had been twenty to thirty years previous, with Chanel Pour Monsieur, Dior Eau Sauvage, and Monsieur de Givenchy all being released in the 1950s and 1960s. It's a shame, because this chypre has roots in common with all of them, but it also has a nice soft leather note the others don't have that makes it even a tad more sophisticated than those famous fragrances. I often find it hard to wear leather notes unless they're combined with strong accompanying fruit notes because the leather is otherwise too harsh for me; but the strong balanced citrus here adds just the right touch. My sample is from the older formulation; this has since been re-done and I cannot yet compare the two. I do know what's available right now is hard to find and is on the pricier side, though this is so nice that I could imagine paying for a full bottle (and what nice heavy bottles the first formulation had!).

This is my favorite fragrance and I absolutely love it. I learned about this beauty when I was just a kid. My dad brought back a travel size bottle of it from his trip to France. Since then I always had this. Throughout years it has been reformulated but still smells great to me. Unfortunately, Hermes is not making this anymore so I have to say goodbye to it sooner or later. To me, this is a masterpiece of balance between notes. Although, it's a strong fragrance but not an in-the-face mixture of screaming notes. It's a creamy and harmonic strong fragrance. If you love masterpiece fragrances then make sure you try this. P.s. I do have a vintage bottle and a newer version. And I can tell with certainty that although my vintage bottle is around 15 years old but its depth and quality of each individual note to tell them apart is on a different level. This is something that you will know only if you got a chance to smell a well-kept vintage version and I hope you can if you love this fragrance like I do because you will admire it even more.